The back pain suffered by persons owing to or aggregated by compression of the spinal column is, as is well-known, at least partially alleviated by reducing that compression. Various types of traction devices are often used for that purpose which also in some cases hastens the healing process. Until the advent of the present invention there were, so far as known, only about four modes of traction employed to relieve spinal column compression: (1) The patient lies on a bed with pulley mounted weights attached to his ankles. (2) The patient is hung by his ankles on a machine which is essentially a bed rotated to a vertical position. (3) The patient is suspended by an underarm sling. (4) The patient wears a special belt which stretches the back through pressure exerted on the abdomen.
But each of these devices in turn causes its own discomfort. In the case of the first and second the patient is obviously rendered almost completely non-productive and insociable. The third can be sustained only for short periods because of pressure on the nerves and blood vessels through the armpit areas, impeding neural response and blood circulation. The fourth, the pressure belt, causes visceral discomfort and is known to hinder digestion.
So the principal objective of the invention is a therapeutic device for relieving pain caused by spinal column compression which avoids the discomforts and deficiencies of the other devices mentioned.